My reply – there isn't an easy answer.
We have been told that we CAN ‘look after children of all ages’ from 1st June - not that we HAVE TO work from 1st June.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/actions-for-education-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020
There is a big difference between the 2 statements. Childminders are self-employed and can decide for themselves what to do.
**It is up to each one of us to risk assess our own home and family situations and decide for ourselves.
The Government has given us some guidance about what safety steps to take - I will talk about them in my ‘Health and Safety’ webinar tonight and my ‘Coronavirus Risk Assessment’ webinar next Tuesday.
You can find the FREE webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
However, regardless of what the Government says, we must all do our own risk assessments and decide for ourselves what we are going to do next.
Before you do your risk assessment, it might be useful to think about the following statements and how they make you feel –
**This virus will not go away.
**We might never have a cure.
**We cannot social distance small children.
**We cannot police what parents do with their children outside your setting.
We can ask them to stay safe but if they want to go to big a family garden party at the weekend, we are not their keepers.
You will find more information about Coronavirus and its impact on early years provisions in this FREE YouTube presentation (recorded by me for Childcare.co.uk) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozdpAPNaea0&t=
Why risk assess?
The Government guidance states - ‘Every setting should carry out a risk assessment before opening.’ The EYFS does not require risk assessments to be in writing – but I suggest you make notes as you do this one because it is so important to get it right.
If you are an employer, the guidance states that you ‘have a duty to’ consult your employees.
You will find a FREE risk assessment (written by me) here - it covers what we have discussed in our current guidance –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid19/risk-assessment
The Government has released supporting guidance which contains advice for settings who are reopening. You can find that guidance here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings
In addition to Government guidance, I will continue to share this information with all early years providers –
- Avoid contact with anyone who has symptoms
- Ensure frequent, good hand washing for 20 seconds – supervise children
- Provide and use hand sanitiser if you cannot access soap and water
- Implement good hygiene practices
- Ensure symptomatic people (children and staff) do not attend
- Plan for regular cleaning – use anti-bacterial (detergent) and anti-viral (bleach) products *more information to follow
- Promote good respiratory hygiene – teach children and share with parents: ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’
- Avoid public transport – parents as well as providers
- Stagger arrival and departure times
- Make more use of outside spaces
- Keep hands off faces – out of noses – wash hands that have been on faces
- Reduce toys to allow easier cleaning and remove hard to clean toys and furnishings
- Send children and staff home / isolate yourself and family members for the recommended period of time if they have symptoms *more information to follow
When doing your risk assessment, I think it might be helpful to consider how you prevent the spread of coronavirus through –
**Managing direct transmission – social distancing – avoiding close contact with sneezing and coughing
**Managing indirect transmission – avoiding contaminated surfaces – hand washing.
Doing your risk assessment
Your first risk assessment questions should be –
**How do you feel about the current situation? How are you adapting?
If your mental health is low, you might not be ready to work yet.
**What do your family say / think?
They have the right to an opinion as well because you are bringing other people into your household and, as we have said, we cannot police what they do
**Do you need to continue shielding your family?
If the answer is ‘yes’, then you should not work and may need to consider your future.
**What can you do to minimise the risks to you and your family?
In addition to the Government’s ideas for minimising risk, you should do your own risk assessment and put as many controls in place as you feel you need to work as safely as possible.
**What is the financial impact of not working?
Yes, I know we shouldn’t have to think about money at a time like this but it will be a factor for many childminders. If you don’t open up for work and you are needed by parents, they are likely to go elsewhere – if they go elsewhere, they may not come back.
Important note - if it’s a toss-up between them leaving and you staying safe because you or a family member are at increased risk from the virus, then the answer should always be to let them go.
Then you will need to think about –
**What steps do you want to take next?
- Look at your house and garden – de-clutter, minimise, make everything easy to clean
- Think about your arrival and departure procedures – social distance where possible
- Think about how you welcome new families – social distance where possible
- Review your handwashing procedures – make them as robust as possible
- Look at your daily routine – what changes do you need to make?
- Check children’s emergency contacts – if they are people who are shielding or at risk, ask for new ones
- Go through your paperwork and check you are not doing too much! Now is the time to make changes...
**If you want to...
- Wear a mask when you go out
- Buy a new steam mop
- Start wearing single-use gloves to change nappies or deal with bodily fluids
- Put children in new clothes at the start of each session *see below
- Take and record children’s temperatures *see below
- Disable your doorbell if you feel it is a cross contamination risk
- Use one tray per child for messy play
- Wipe down lunch boxes or transfer food to your own boxes
- Keep children’s coats and shoes on outside shelving
- Refuse to work with children who attend 2 or more settings
- Open 1st June and close a week later because you don’t feel safe
- Introduce new rules...
It is totally up to you and nobody should stop you!
For example, when thinking about changing children's clothes, the current government advice states: ‘there is no need for anything other than normal personal hygiene and washing of clothes following a day in an educational or childcare setting’ but if it makes you feel better to change children’s clothes, then it’s your decision.
You MUST do what you feel is right for you, to keep you and your family as safe as possible. Equally if you don’t want to do these things and you would rather carry on as normal, that’s your decision as well.
**Don’t let the ‘thought police’ or ‘keyboard warriors’ impact on your decision making**
When you have completed your risk assessment, with staff (if relevant), share it with parents and think about immediate steps to take, such as –
- Put up signage so parents know what door to use and what to do when they knock
- Print new documentation and thinking about how it can be safely completed
- Ask parents for new emergency contacts and ensuring you always have a number they can be reached on
- Think about how you will communicate changes to children to minimise stress
- Share new policies – for example, to stagger arrival and departure times
- Start advertising for new families – if necessary.
Answering some frequently asked questions
Question – can I charge parents if they leave because I am not re-opening?
Answer – legal advice says ‘no’, because you have not been offering a service so your contract is invalid.
Question – can I charge parents if I am open and they decide not to attend?
Answer – it depends on what it says in your contracts with parents – have they signed to state they will pay you if you are open and they are choosing not to use your service? For example, do they normally pay when they are on holiday or if their child is off sick? Can parents afford to pay - if a request for payment leads to a cancellation of contract, what will you do next?
Question – can I take children’s temperatures every day?
Answer – if you want to, but you might want to consider the current guidance which states: ‘Parents, carers and settings do not need to take children’s temperatures every morning. Routine testing of an individual’s temperature is not a reliable method for identifying coronavirus.’
Question – what do I need to do about the Ofsted curriculum expectation?
Answer – the guidance states: ‘No school will be penalised if they are unable to offer a broad and balanced curriculum to their pupils during this period.’ It does not specifically mention early years or childminders but I imagine it will be the same for us.
Question – what should my curriculum look like?
Answer – my advice is to plan a trauma informed curriculum – you will find more advice in my FREE upcoming ‘Curriculum after lockdown’ webinar – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Question – should I continue to share resources with parents and send them home?
Answer – the current Government guidance says no. However, you must continue to comply with the EYFS and share ideas for home learning – for example, parents might practice your hand washing techniques with their children at home.
Question – are Ofsted likely to descend on me as soon as I reopen?
Answer – no, the current guidance says that routine Ofsted inspections will continue to be put on hold for now.
Question – what cleaning changes should I implement?
Answer – a 2-step cleaning process is advised – use detergent to clean the surface and then use an appropriately diluted anti-viral cleaner. Leave the antiviral cleaner on the surface for the required length of time (keep children away and ventilate the room).
Question – have ratios changed?
Answer – no, you must continue to comply with the ratios in the EYFS. Latest guidance on ratios for childminders in England here -https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
Question – have recommended isolation periods changed?
Answer - no – the Government guidance states, ‘When a child, young person or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days.’ Tests are now available for anyone with symptoms – if they test negative, they can return straight away and household members can return to work.
The guidance goes on to say –
‘Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class or group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class or group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.’
Question – will I need to change my daily routines?
Answer – probably - for a start, you won’t be able to go out to groups yet. You might also want to introduce more outside play, following Government guidelines. You should talk about routines with parents and staff and consider what is best for you and the children.
Question – can I take childminded children on walks in the local area?
Answer – probably – the Government guidance is unclear but as long as you have carefully risk assessed and you are not taking them to a built-up or busy place and parents are happy that you are doing it, then Ofsted say we must continue to comply with the EYFS as requirement 3.58 has not been disapplied –
‘Providers must provide access to an outdoor play area or, if that is not possible, ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis (unless circumstances make this inappropriate, for example unsafe weather conditions).’
Notes:
**I may need to update this guidance as new information is released. I will put an ‘update’ date on it if I have to amend any sections.
**If I am asked the same question a few times, I will add it to the 'frequently asked questions' section or revise my guidance to include the answer.
You can find me on the Independent Childminders Facebook group – tag Sarah Neville or message me – if you need more advice.
Thank you, Sarah.
Date written: 12.5.2020